


Unleash The Rainbow

by Sefiru



Series: Hidden Sky [3]
Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: 2759, Arcade, Awkward Conversations, Birthdays, Bovino's A+ parenting, Cowboy!Lambo, D/s, Exposition, Family, Fluff, Forever homes, Harmonising is a big deal, Humor, Italian Mafia, Kawahira needs a hug, Kink Without Sex, Loyalty, M/M, Negotiations, OTL!Gokudera, Pre-Slash, Presents, Reborn is a troll, SCIENCE!, SPOILERS IN THE COMMENTS, Second Chances, Sub!Fon, Teamwork, Triads, UMAs, arcobaleno curse, boss!Tsuna, formality, outsider pov, shit gets real
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-12
Updated: 2018-12-01
Packaged: 2019-08-01 04:32:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 16,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16277879
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sefiru/pseuds/Sefiru
Summary: As Tsuna’s Famiglia celebrates back-to-back birthdays, a chance remark starts a chain of events which will change their lives forever. Just what is the Arcobaleno Curse, anyway? And what does a local antiques dealer have to do with it?





	1. Chapter 1

Reborn’s birthday had come around again, and Tsuna’s Famiglia had put together an appropriately chaotic party.

“Hard to believe it’s been over a year,” Tsuna mused. His Sun Guardian was perched on his lap, his fedora on the table beside his coffee cup; when he first arrived in Namimori the hat had never come off, even when he was sleeping. He’d been just as alone as Tsuna, and couldn’t afford to trust anyone. Since coming here he had been able to relax; he had shared his original name with them, and he’d even made friends of his own. Which was why they were having his party in the Yamamotos’ living room.

“It’s been a busy year, Fluffy-Tsuna. You’re well on your way to being a Mafia Boss,” Reborn said teasingly.

Tsuna rolled his eyes. As absurd as the situation was, he wouldn’t trade his Elements for anything. Hayato and Takeshi, Haru and Chrome, Hibari and Reborn himself. Then there were Hana and Kyoko, who weren’t yet Flame Active but had joined his Famiglia to support their friends, and quickly became Tsuna’s friends as well. And of course, the kids.

Lambo hopped up on the makeshift stage in one corner of the room. “And now, Lucky Lambo, the quickest draw in the West, will give a demonstration of marksmanship!”

To Tsuna’s relief he used a ‘gun’ that launched rubber bands. I-pin acted as his assistant and tossed playing cards, which Lambo shot out of the air. He had excellent aim, actually; he didn’t miss a single card.

“Not bad,” said Reborn. “Though your trigger discipline is sloppy. And I-pin, I’m sure you can give Lambo more of a challenge than that.”

“Yes, Sensei,” they chorused as they left the stage.

“Dinner,” announced Tsuyoshi, bringing platters from the restaurant kitchen. Not sushi for once, but grilled chicken and various vegetable dishes. He set them out on the table, and then held out a bento box of the same dishes. “Takeshi, can you put this on the roof?”

“Okay, Dad.” The bento was for Hibari; the party was too crowded for him, so he was keeping lookout. Tsuna could sense his violet Flame on the roof above them. As always, Hayato sat at Tsuna’s right side and Takeshi at his left. After dinner came cake: lemon poppy-seed, for Reborn’s signature colors.

“This is really good,” said Tsuna.

“Wait until you see your cake tomorrow!” Haru told him. Kyoko elbowed her.

“It’s supposed to be a surprise!”

“Hahi! Sorry! Anyway, they’re both from Moko-san’s bakery.”

Hana face-palmed. Not that that part was any surprise; Moko-san was the Cake Appreciation Club’s favourite baker. “Did she try to give you a discount?” asked Tsuna. Moko was already paying a hefty – and voluntary – tribute to him as Namimori’s Sky. All of Namimori’s Flame Active adults did. Tsuna was just glad to have them as _his_ ; he didn’t care about the money.

Meanwhile, Hayato bolted down his cake and set up an electric keyboard for his contribution to the party. He focused on the keys with the same intensity he did everything, and launched into a rendition of _Here Comes The Sun_. Tsuna felt Reborn’s silent chuckle. Hayato was a skilled pianist among his many other talents; he too, had thrived since coming under Tsuna’s Sky. It was thanks to Reborn that they’d met, which was another reason to thank the tiny tutor. Once the performance concluded, the dessert plates were cleared away and replaced by a small pile of presents. Four, to be exact.

Takeshi had found a game titled, in English, _Cards Against Humanity_. Tsuna wondered what kind of game would have a title like that; no doubt he would find out as soon as Reborn turned it into a training exercise. 

Haru’s gift was a sunflower costume, the sort of silly cosplay both of them loved. Reborn swapped it for his suit jacket at once.

Chrome’s present was also cosplay-related. “This is from me and Kyoya-nii,” she said; it was a simple black hair clip that shimmered with Mist and Cloud Flames. Reborn turned it over curiously, then put it on. His hair suddenly grew to waist length; he looked at himself in the mirror that Chrome conjured, and grinned.

“This opens up _so many_ possibilities.” Great, they were all doomed. Reborn took off the hair clip and his hair returned to its previous length.

The final gift was from Tsuna, and it had taken some thought. It was a framed piece of calligraphy, no larger than a postcard, depicting the (supposedly) most beautiful equation in the world. Reborn recognised it on sight. “Ah, Euler’s Identity. You’ve drawn it elegantly, Fluffy-Tsuna.”

“So it _is_ real? I wasn’t sure.”

“Yes, it’s a valid equation. Astounding, isn’t it?” Tsuna was only in the second year of middle school; he barely knew anything about equations, let alone what made this one special. As long as Reborn liked it, that was enough for him.

*** 

Sleepy satisfaction warmed Reborn’s belly, and it wasn’t just from the excellent cake. He had rarely had a party held in his honor; he’d used last year’s as an excuse for a training exercise, to see what his fluffy student could plan on short notice. This time, he’d spent the evening with his Sky and his Famiglia, and that alone was unexpected luxury. He enjoyed watching his students show off their talents, and the little framed equation was best of all. Not just because it was Fluffy-Tsuna’s work, and not just because it was laced with Sky Flames; it was a decoration meant to be hung in his _home_. He was fortunate to find one before his time ran out.

Reborn folded the sunflower costume – hand-sewn, he noted – and put it away in the dresser which Tsuna had brought down from the attic for him. There were other signs of shared occupancy: his hammock, Leon’s terrarium, a folding screen in case either one of them wanted privacy. It hadn’t occurred to him to put up decorations. “Fluffy-Tsuna. You don’t mind if I hang things in your room.”

His Sky smiled at him. “Not at all. And that’s the other half of your present.” Other half? Tsuna opened the door and stuck something to the outside, right under his fish-shaped name plate. He moved aside to let Reborn see; it was a polished brass plaque, engraved with the words _Matteo Rica_. His true name.

“This is your room, too,” said Tsuna.

Damnit, was that a lump in his throat? He was the World’s Greatest Hitman, such a little thing shouldn’t affect him so much. Except – he could afford not to maintain his reputation. And if anyone was going to get under his skin, it might as well be his Sky. “Best. Birthday. Ever.” And who knew if he would see another?

“You don’t know if you’ll see another,” Tsuna echoed; his Hyper Intuition was getting hair-raising. Reborn pulled his fedora down. He would rather not trouble his student with this, yet better to find out this way than …

“I’m dying, Fluffy-Tsuna. All the Arcobaleno are.” He held up the pacifier-shaped bauble that had sealed his fate. “These things consume our Flames until our bodies can’t handle the strain anymore. The average life span is thirty-five years, and we’re past thirty now.” It was like a stab in the gut, telling his Sky that. He’d seen how hard it was for a Sky to lose a Guardian; his fluffy student didn’t deserve that. “I’m sorry. If I knew a way to spare you this grief …”

Tsuna scooped him up and held him, eyes glowing orange with resolve. “Worth it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to Part 3 of Hidden Sky! This is more a prologue than a real chapter; don't worry, they won't all be this short. Huge thanks to all my readers and commenters -- as I post this, part 1 has reached 5000 hits. Mind = blown! I hope that this fic will continue to deliver.
> 
> [Euler's identity](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euler%27s_identity) is eiπ+1 = 0 . It is widely considered to be the most beautiful equation in the world (just look at it!).
> 
> Also, following my note at the end of Dark Sun and some of the subsequent comments, I've started a [Reborn's Real Name Challenge](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/Reborns_Real_Name) if anyone is interested!


	2. Chapter 2

Hayato faced a conundrum with celebrating Tsuna-sama’s birthday. What gift could he possibly give, when everything he had, everything he _was_ , already belonged to Tsuna-sama? On the other hand, he could not fail to honor this special day for his Sky, the center of his world.

He rose early and dressed in his suit, making sure that his tie was centered and his cuffs straight. When Tsuna-sama emerged from his room, Hayato was waiting on his knees outside. As the door opened, he bowed low. “Congratulations on your fifteenth birthday, Decimo.”

Tsuna-sama bent down and stroked his hair. In public, his Sky required Hayato to treat him as an ordinary teenager, but within his home he was more indulgent. Though Hayato’s true place was wherever his Sky put him, this was where he _wanted_ to be: at his Sky’s feet, awaiting his orders.

“Let’s go to breakfast, Hayato.” No morning training today; he prepared Tsuna-sama’s coffee and set it in front of him, before making his own and Reborn’s. Nana had made all of Tsuna-sama’s favourite breakfast foods, and roped Lambo and I-pin into cleaning up. Reborn tipped his hat in Tsuna-sama’s direction and slipped out, leaving Hayato alone with his Sky.

“Another party this afternoon,” Tsuna-sama said. “Are you helping with the preparations?”

“No, Decimo. My only role today is to obey your orders.” He bowed again. “I regret that the only gift I can offer is my service.”

Slender hands lifted his head up. “That is the greatest gift that anyone could give me,” Tsuna-sama said softly. He spent a little while just running his fingers through the hair above Hayato’s ears, while Hayato struggled not to melt out from under them. A glint of mischief appeared in Tsuna-sama’s eyes. “So, you’re my toy for the day, are you?”

God, yes. All day, _every_ day, any way his Sky wanted him. “Yes, Decimo.”

“Go get your collar, Hayato.”

He _ran_. His collar, his most prized possession, which Tsuna-sama had had made for him; as part of a costume, true, but it represented both his loyalty and Tsuna-sama’s understanding of it. He returned to his place at Tsuna-sama’s feet and offered up the collar with both hands. Tsuna-sama took it and set it on the table. Then he carefully undid Hayato’s tie, took it off, and opened the first button of his shirt. Hayato shivered and tilted his chin back. Tsuna-sama looped the collar around his neck and buckled it; his fingers rested for a moment against the veins of his throat, and Hayato gasped. There was no better feeling than to have his Sky’s hands on him, to know that he held Hayato’s life in them. Tsuna-sama’s fingers moved back to his hair. “Who’s a good boy?”

*** 

Haru stood on tiptoe so that her broom could reach the last bit of cobweb in the corner. “That’s all of them! Your turn, Chrome-chan!”

The smaller girl nodded and called up her Flames. Satin streamers appeared; a broad orange one, woven around with smaller ribbons in all the colors of the rainbow. They had already mopped the floor and taken out the tatami mats to have the dust beaten out of them. Reborn’s party had been fun, but this was _important_. Why? Because it was the Boss’s birthday! Naturally, their secret base had to look its best.

Once it had been an abandoned shopping mall; now they had a café meeting room, a training hall, a snake habitat, and a workshop. The outdoor training area was an amphitheatre – so cool! Haru wanted to show her grandpapa, but it wouldn’t be a secret base if she did.

“I think it still needs something,” said Chrome. Haru looked around at the garlands of ribbon.

“Maybe some paper lanterns?”

“Here come the tatami mats,” called Takeshi, carrying the first one in. “Wow, those look great, Chrome-chan!”

Chrome smiled shyly, and conjured a set of paper lanterns hanging from the ceiling. They appeared to be lit by swarms of fireflies. Haru stuck her head into the café kitchen, where Kyoko was counting chopsticks. “Decorations are done, Kyoko-chan.”

“Okay, good,” said Kyoko, and checked off an item on the list beside her. Kyoko was in charge of the preparations; why? Because she wanted to become an event planner, and was determined to practice. “Can you help Takeshi with the mats, please? Chrome-chan, are you tired?”

“A little,” Chrome whispered.

“Have a cup of tea, then, and after that you can help me sort out the place settings.”

*** 

She sipped her tea and listened to the sounds of rain and lightning, going in and out. The sun was warm beside her. She was content with her new life; now she had room to create herself, and was bound by nothing but the sky. 

A cloud drifted in and flowed around her. He set a parcel in front of the sun. “Meat.”

“Thank you, Hibari-san. Should I text you when the meal is ready?”

“Unnecessary.” He took a cup of tea, patted Chrome’s head, and drifted out again. She smiled into her cup; a small animal that sheltered among clouds had no reason for fear.

*** 

Tsuna perched on a railing and watched Hayato score point after point in a shooting game. His Storm held the pistol-controller with easy familiarity, and Tsuna wondered where he’d learned to shoot. Hayato’s suit and collar stood out in the arcade, especially next to Tsuna’s faded hoodie and jeans, though it could be taken as a fashion statement. Tsuna found the odd looks amusing, which had to be Reborn’s influence.

The game chimed as Hayato finished the stage. He returned the controller to its holster and bowed to Tsuna. “Would you like to take a turn, Decimo?”

“Sure!” He hopped off the railing. They had played several games so far; Hayato scored better on games that depended on aim, while Tsuna did well at those based on dexterity. In some they played against one another, and Tsuna made sure to order Hayato to play to win. It was a tough order for the Storm to obey, but then, Hayato liked it like that. His loyalty really was the greatest gift Tsuna could have … and the arcade held lots of excuses to exercise it. “Come show me what to do, Hayato.”

“Yes, sir!” Hayato directed him in holding the fake handgun, not incidentally putting his hands all over Tsuna. By the slight blush on his cheeks, Hayato was enjoying it as much as Tsuna was. When the round was finished, Tsuna reached out and took Hayato’s hand. “Come on, let’s go to the claw machines next.”

“Decimo, I suspect those are rigged.”

“Oh, they’re definitely rigged.” Tsuna grinned; during his no-good years he had spent a lot of time at the claw machines. “If you know the trick to them, you can work around it. That one,” he pointed to a machine full of candy bars, “Only closes its claw fully every third time. That one,” full of stuffed animals, “is one in ten. And the one over there,” with plush keychains shaped like sushi, “is on a random number generator, also about one in ten. I have a good feeling about it today.” He led Hayato up to it and fed in a coin. In only two tries, he was holding a shrimp-nigiri keychain.

“It’s your turn to pick a game, Hayato.”

“Right! How about that one?” Hayato pointed out a dance game. Tsuna was intrigued; now that he was mostly rid of the seal, he could play it without falling over. And as a bonus, he got to watch Hayato move while wearing a suit. Tsuna smiled to himself. Becoming a Mafia Boss involved all kinds of silliness, but the suits – those he could appreciate. They danced several rounds until both of them were flushed and out of breath. Hayato bought cans of iced tea and they sat on a bench to sip them.

Hayato’s phone chimed. “They’re ready for you whenever you like, Decimo.”

“All right then, let’s go.”

*** 

Tsuna paused as they walked up the lane towards Kokuyo Land. Hayato deserved a thank you for following his orders so well, and Tsuna had just the thing. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the leash that went with Hayato’s collar. Hayato’s eyes went wide when he saw it, and he dropped down to let Tsuna clip it on. Tsuna scratched him behind the ears. “You did very well today, hayato.”

Hayato nuzzled into his side. “Serving you is its own reward, Decimo.”

It was the most amazing thing. Tsuna never thought he’d be capable of ordering someone around, but he couldn’t feel uncomfortable when Hayato so obviously enjoyed it. Even when – especially when – the orders were difficult to follow. So Tsuna would challenge him, but also indulge him from time to time. He looped the end of the leash around his wrist. “Let’s go meet the others.”

Halfway up the path, they encountered a tiny figure wearing a grey robe, a pointed hat, and a floor-length beard. “Ciaossu!”

“Matteo-sensei. Do I want to know why you’re dressed as a wizard?”

“I’m in charge of the fireworks today, Fluffy-Tsuna.”

“There are fireworks?”

“I made them myself,” announced Hayato. Which meant he _did_ have a gift besides his service, but there was no point in bringing that up.

Tsuna’s Elements had done a marvellous job in decorating the base. Lambo led him around, pointing things out and explaining who had done what. There were streamers and lanterns and the whole place was spotless. The tables were pushed together in the middle of the café, with burners set up for hot pot. To one side was a row of presents, one of which seemed to be _moving._

Dinner first. Tsuna, of course, had the Boss’s place, furthest from the door, and Hibari had the seat nearest the door with the most space around him. There were two pots so that everyone could reach, and Takeshi had made the broth according to his father’s personal recipe.

After the meal came the presents. Tsuna unwrapped a few books and games, calligraphy paper, and a Hanshin Tigers hoodie with the number 27 on the back. Tsuna held it up. “Wow, I didn’t think they made these in my size.”

“They don’t, Boss,” Haru said with a wink. Kyoko pretended to be shocked.

“Fashion counterfeiting? How very criminal of you, Haru.”

If Haru had made the hoodie herself, that made it even more special. Tsuna put it on at once. He had left the suspiciously mobile package until last; he cautiously lifted the lid, looked inside, and then closed it again just as carefully. “That,” he said, “is a rattlesnake.”

“Another one?” sighed Hayato.

The rat snake in his school bag had been a surprise; the albino corn snake in his sock drawer was actually kind of cute, and the ball python in the bathtub was just annoying. And _why_ was he taking it as a compliment that Reborn thought he was ready to handle venomous species?

“Your real present is outside,” Reborn told him. There was more? Tsuna followed his tutor to one of the other boarded-up storefronts, where Reborn had put a large ribbon on the door. Tsuna opened this carefully, too, in case Reborn had gotten him a bear to spar with.

Instead, he found bicycles. Three of them; one for him and, by the colors, ones for Hayato and Chrome. The other teens already had bicycles, so this way, none of his Famiglia would be left out. “This is awesome, Matteo-sensei!”

*** 

Reborn smirked as Fluffy-Tsuna looked over the bicycles. His Sky’s reactions were the best entertainment he’d ever found – which was why he kept giving him snakes – but there was more thought than that behind this gift. Tsuna would need more mobility as his involvement in the community increased; it would also benefit his safety, since a cyclist could outrun a person on foot, and go where a car couldn’t. Bikes for his Guardians meant Tsuna wouldn’t worry about leaving them behind, though Reborn himself would have to ride in the basket. And finally, his fluffy student’s coordination had caught up to normal, so he would be able to ride.

Hayato, still leashed to Tsuna’s wrist, poked excitedly at his own vehicle. “Decimo! With this, I shall follow wherever you lead!”

Tsuna giggled. “I know you will, Hayato. Matteo-sensei … thank you.” _Oh._ For a moment, Reborn felt like he was lighter than air. He preened.

“I do try. The party’s not over yet, Fluffy-Tsuna.”

“Really?” Tsuna’s eyes were wide with excitement and a hint of anxiety. He was getting better about having attention focused on him; too much still made him nervous, even from his own Guardians. Hence this bit of choreography to get Tsuna away from the main gathering for a few minutes. It just wouldn’t do for their Sky to be uncomfortable at his own party.

“There’s cake,” Reborn reminded him. Back at the café, the others had cleared away the supper dishes and set out the cake. It looked rather simple, with plain white icing – until Tsuna cut into it and discovered that the inside was striped in rainbow-colored layers. His look of surprise was perfect; Chrome snapped a picture. Tsuna slipped the leash off his wrist.

“Hayato, would you make coffee?”

“At once, Decimo.” Good, fresh coffee from hand-roasted beans; Reborn had taught Hayato well. There was no better way to warm one’s stomach after a busy day. Or before one. Or during one. Of course, Reborn still had one more role to perform. He set down his cup.

“Now, if you will proceed to the amphitheatre, there will be a display of fireworks.”

Hayato had made a dozen Roman candles, in various sizes, from tiny silver fountains to a cone as tall as Reborn that sprayed red, blue and purple sparks high into the air. Tsuna had pulled Hayato’s head into his lap and was busy turning him into a limp noodle with ear scratches. “They’re wonderful, Hayato.”

Lambo jumped up and ran into the middle of the amphitheatre. “Lucky Lambo will give you an encore!” He took out a familiar bazooka. Reborn pulled his wizard hat over his eyes; Lambo had been doing so well. No range practice for him for a month.

I-pin also ran forward. “Stop, you broccoli monster!” Too late; the blast from the Ten-Year Bazooka struck her square-on. With a soft poof, her teen-aged self appeared. “Oh! I’ve gone from one party to another.”

“Sorry about that,” said Tsuna. “Tell future-me happy birthday when you get back, ok?”

“Ok, Boss,” she said with a wink. Reborn itched to pelt her with questions, but she never gave details about the future any time she appeared. I-pin walked back to the café with them and accepted a cup of tea while she waited for the timer to run out. Then, poof, she switched places with her current self, who returned wearing a paper party hat. “Future Tsuna says happy birthday!” she said.

“Hahi, at least future I-pin’s noodle delivery didn’t get ruined this time,” said Haru.

“I always feel a bit bad for her customer,” Tsuna added.

Takeshi laughed. “Ahaha, maybe we should look up this Kawahira-san and invite him to lunch.”

Suddenly, Tsuna clutched his stomach with a groan. Reborn’s eyes narrowed and he raised his Flames, ready to heal. “Fluffy-Tsuna?”

“My intuition just _kicked_ me.” Tsuna breathed deeply, ad let his own Flames rise to help him regain his balance. “We have to do what Takeshi suggested. I don’t know why, but it’s incredibly important.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look! A plot! *points dramatically*


	3. Chapter 3

Kawahira, it transpired, already lived in Namimori in the present day; he owned an antique shop and lived an apparently quiet life. To Tsuna’s surprise, he was quick to accept their written invitation. He turned out to be a slender man of indeterminate age, with hair even paler than Hayato’s, wire-framed glasses, and sea-green eyes.

It was as awkward as Tsuna expected for lunch with a total stranger. They met at Tsuna’s house; the whole dozen-strong Famiglia was a bit much for a first meeting, so only Tsuna, Reborn, Hayato and Takeshi were present.

“Thank you for the invitation,” Kawahira said. “Though I am curious about the reason for it. A school project, perhaps?”

“Not exactly,” said Tsuna. “I’m not sure how to explain it without sounding crazy.”

“Maa, it has to do with ramen noodles from the future,” said Takeshi. Hayato glared at him.

“ _Without_ sounding crazy, idiot.”

Tsuna decided to just go with it. “Yeah, one of our friends delivers noodles in the future, and a time machine keeps delaying them so you get soggy noodles ten years from now. This is kind of an early apology.” And all of it sounded even less plausible out loud than it did in his head.

“How remarkable,” said Kawahira. Tsuna’s intuition tugged at him. Unless Kawahira was an excellent actor, he _believed_ the story. He might just be a paranormal enthusiast, but … 

“We saw that you run an antique shop,” he said. “Is it an interesting business?”

“It is fascinating,” Kawahira answered. “One comes across the most unusual items.” 

As the conversation haltingly progressed, Tsuna noticed that Reborn was fidgeting with his coffee cup; he only did that when he was trying to remember something. It was times like this Tsuna wished that his intuition was a little clearer.

“You.” Reborn slammed his cup down on the table. “I knew I recognised your voice. You’re the Man in the Iron hat.” He pulled out a handgun and levelled it at Kawahira. “You’re the one who put this leech on me!”

Kawahira snarled right back, “Do you think I did it for _fun_? Do you think I enjoy this? I had no choice!” His previously hidden Mist flame blazed out, even brighter than Reborn’s Sun. On either side, Hayato and Takeshi were reaching for their own weapons. Tsuna was tempted to scream and hide under the table. Instead, he slipped into Hyper Dying Will mode and laid his hand on Reborn’s wrist.

“No killing in the house.” He pushed the gun downwards. Thank heavens Nana had decided to go shopping. “Everyone, sit down please; I want some answers.”

Slowly and cautiously, they all returned to their seats. Reborn kept his gun in hand, but at least he put the safety on. “Kawahira-san,” Tsuna began, “Do I understand correctly that you are responsible for putting the Arcobaleno Curse on Reborn and the others?”

“You do,” Kawahira said carefully. His eyes were violet in the center, and his hands were curled tight on the tabletop.

“And what exactly do you mean, that you had no choice in doing so?”

“The pendants are part of a global system that keeps Flames in balance. If they are not constantly supplied with energy, it would endanger all life on Earth.”

Wait, what? Tsuna could sense the truth in that statement, but, “Life on Earth depends on a set of magic necklaces? How does that work?”

“Not just the necklaces – there are fourteen magic rings, too,” Kawahira said with dark humor. Nobody laughed. “Dying Will Flames break the laws of physics in numerous ways; if physics is disrupted too much, life would become impossible. Since the underlying Will of all Flames is survival, a system emerged to correct the disruptions. Most of its parts are very large – humans call them ley lines. The pendants and rings are regulators.”

“And who put _you_ in charge of all this?” Reborn said skeptically.

“I was the only one left!” Kawahira nearly yelled. “My people are _gone_! Humans die too quickly! If I don’t choose, the pendants latch onto the nearest matching Flame.” (“Colonello,” muttered Reborn.) “So unless you have a, a Flame-based perpetual motion machine, there is no other option!”

Hayato put up his hand. “Um, actually …”

Sensing a glimmer of a solution, Tsuna smiled. “Your invention is still running, Hayato?”

“Six months without a detectable power drop,” Hayato said proudly. He pulled out his phone. “I’ll ask Shoichi to bring it over.”

Kawahira slumped back in his seat, dumbfounded. “You actually built a perpetual motion machine?”

“Hayato-kun is very talented,” said Takeshi. “Would anyone like more tea?”

Tsuna decided he’d better keep them talking while they waited. He asked, “Kawahira-san, you mentioned ‘your people’ and ‘humans’ as if they were different things.”

Kawahira hesitated, then nodded. “It’s true, I am not human. My kind were long-lived, but not immortal, and we were always few in number. Now there are none left but a few hybrids and myself.”

Hayato gaped. “But that means – that means – UMAs really do exist!” He lunged to his feet, slamming his hands on the table. “Can I have your autograph?”

Reborn gave Hayato a disgusted look. “Kawahira, why the hell are you telling us all of this?”

“Nobody was ever willing to listen before.” Now Kawahira just looked tired, and Tsuna felt sad for him. How old was he really? Reborn had mentioned, once, that the Arcobaleno Curse dated back to Vongola Primo’s day. Had Kawahira been managing the pendants by himself all that time? He wasn’t a hitman; he wasn’t even a Mafioso. He was an antiques dealer who happened to be responsible for preserving life on Earth. He was also a Flame Active resident of Namimori, and that made him Tsuna’s responsibility.

*** 

It still made Reborn’s skin crawl, knowing he was sitting at a table with Checkerface. This person had lied to him, conned him, and trapped him in this cursed form, along with his fellow Arcobaleno and generations of Arcobaleno before them. The only reason Reborn hadn’t shot him was that Fluffy-Tsuna wanted him alive. Reborn knew where he lived; he could take him out later, if necessary. And whatever his species, Checkerface was just as susceptible to Sky Attraction as the rest of them – it had loosened his tongue nicely. 

It wasn’t long before Shoichi arrived on his electric scooter, the Flame machine in its case strapped to the back. “Hi, Boss! I hear you want to see our baby?”

“Yeah. Turns out there might be a use for it after all.” The device was the size of a dinner plate and shimmered with all seven colors of flame; a microprocessor was hooked up to it, logging power levels and time since activation. The whole thing was the work of two teenage inventors.

Kawahira examined the machine with a stunned expression. “This … this could actually work. It would have to be bigger, of course.” By two or three orders of magnitude, if Reborn estimated correctly. It would be the size of a room – but that was _feasible_. Just the chance that he might get rid of the curse gave him goosebumps.

“I had no idea,” Kawahira mumbled. Tsuna patted his shoulder.

“Kawahira-san, it doesn’t matter if you’re five thousand years old – ”

“ _Three_ thousand, thank you.”

“ – You’re only one person, and you can’t think of everything. It’s not fair to you that you’ve had to handle this alone. If you think a larger version of this machine can power the Arcobaleno pendants, we’ll build it.”

“You’re … helping?” 

“Of course.” Tsuna smiled at him, all fluffy and bright. “Have you ever asked for help before?”

“It’s easier if they hate me,” Kawahira muttered.

Reborn narrowed his eyes; he knew that tone. Once, Checkerface’s arrogance might have been genuine, but it was a mask now. Kawahira was inured to anger and spite, but just a little kindness had him near the breaking point. New plan: Reborn would heckle him enough to keep him functional until this cursed pendant was off him, and then let Tsuna’s compassion crack him like an egg. “I’m just tired of being so short,” he said.

“I make no promises on that front,” Kawahira answered, sounding more like the Checkerface Reborn knew and loathed. “Also, I’m not much of an engineer, so you might contact Talbot for more technical advice.”

“Talbot? Like, the Vongola weapons maker?” asked Shoichi.

“He’s my great-nephew, though we’re not on speaking terms.”

“That explains so much,” said Reborn.

*** 

Haru followed her Boss into the antique shop, looking around curiously. She had heard all about Kawahira-san from Hayato, who was loudly enthusiastic about meeting a real live UMA. Even without that, Haru would have known that this wasn’t an ordinary store. Why? Because of the stripe of orange tape across the top of the door frame; every business that paid tribute to the Boss had it. TakeSushi, Moko-san’s bakery, even the gambling den that Grandpapa went to on Friday nights. Haru wasn’t supposed to know about that one.

On Boss’s other side, Chrome was looking around with equal fascination. She was dressed in Haru’s latest creation, an autumn-themed gown in brown and bronze. She blended in with the shop’s interior, which was packed with all sorts of lacquer, brass and woodwork. There was a shelf full of dusty books and actual scrolls, boxes of old teacups, a leather suitcase. Haru should have brought her sketchbook! She couldn’t take too much time to look around, though; why? Because while Hayato was busy, it was up to Haru to watch the Boss’s back. Kawahira sounded like the kind of UMA who did abductions and experiments, so she had better stay alert!

“Hello, Kawahira-san,” Boss called out. At the back of the shop, a man stood up. He looked like a normal human; was he in disguise?

“Welcome to my establishment, Inten-sama,” he said, and bowed.

“You know my name, you’re allowed to use it,” the Boss said. “I’d like you to meet Haru Miura, my Lightning, and Chrome Dokuro, my Mist. Haru, Chrome, this is Kawahira-san, a senior citizen.”

“My, my, young people these days,” Kawahira replied.

“Pleased to meet you,” Haru said, mostly sincere. Chrome tilted her head to one side, stared at him, then stepped forward and took his hand in hers. He looked as if he’d been hit on the head with a brick of solid cuteness.

“I came by to tell you about our plan,” said Boss. “Matteo-sensei is getting in touch with Talbot, and the Hidden Sky Trust is going to pay for materials. I need two things from you: to verify that the machine will work like it’s supposed to, and to get the Arcobaleno to assemble here once we’re ready for them.”

Kawahira chuckled without humor. “They’ll come – if only to find out what I’m up to now. I shall do as you command, _Inten-sama._ ” Was he _teasing_ Boss? The nerve of him!

“Easy, Haru,” said Boss. “I’ll take it as a sign of trust that he’s comfortable enough to tease me.”

Haru hadn’t thought of it that way. And neither had Kawahira, by his startled expression. Chrome gave him a comforting pat on the arm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Priorities, Hayato! ^^;


	4. Chapter 4

Construction was going according to plan, and the final model was going to be _huge_. An empty unit at Kokuyo Land became their workshop. The base plate was three meters on a side; Hayato was using tiny amounts of Storm Flame to polish it to mirror-brightness, while Shoichi tapped away at the CAD design on his laptop, and Kawahira measured parts of the original with callipers. Despite claiming to be no expert, the ancient Mist had suggested several ways to refine their design.

Hayato’s excitement at working with a real UMA was tempered with street-wise wariness. No matter how cooperative Kawahira _seemed_ , it didn’t rule out a double-cross, and they all knew what he was capable of. Letting him participate in the build was an easy way to keep an eye on him; they didn’t let him near the kids, or alone with Tsuna-sama, and they confirmed his information with outside sources as much as they could.

His phone chimed – the ringtone reserved for his Sky. The message read, [ Talbot came through, big delivery. On our way up. ] Hayato hastily tidied himself up, then went to the doors to greet Tsuna-sama. He arrived with Hibari and Chrome carrying several boxes among them.

Chrome set hers down and then went to sit beside Kawahira, one hand curled around his elbow. Kawahira awkwardly patted her shoulder. Hibari prowled a full circuit of the workshop, and then settled on an exposed beam to stare at the pair of Mists. Tsuna-sama said, “Hey, Hayato. How’s the project going?”

“Right on schedule, Decimo! What’s in the boxes?”

“Not snakes, I hope.” Tsuna-sama lined up the boxes; there were five, all of different sizes. “Open these up, Hayato. Let’s see what Talbot sent us.”

Even the simplest order from his Sky was a joy to obey; Hayato cut the boxes open with precise bursts of Storm Flame. The largest box contained seven crystal jars, each with a socket that would hold an Arcobaleno pendant. The three smaller boxes contained, respectively, spools of wire, a jumble of rings, and nine color-coded bracelets. And the last held several volumes of Talbot’s _own notes_. He could hardly wait to dive in!

Shoichi snickered, “Hayato, you’re looking at that box like there’s a pretty girl in there.”

“I don’t think Talbot would send us binders full of women,” said Tsuna-sama. He picked up a binder and flipped it open. “OK, my Italian skills aren’t up to this yet. Hayato, a little help?”

“Of course, Decimo!” Hayato took the binder; fortunately, the first page contained an abstract of the contents. “This one is about the jars; they’re Talbot’s idea for removing the curse, but he says it’s incomplete.”

“May I?” Kawahira held out a hand; Hayato passed him the binder and picked up the next one.

“This is all about Flame-conductive alloys and how to work with them. This is incredibly valuable information!” The Mark I perpetual motion machine was made with C-grade alloys; the formulae were easy to find on the dark web. The formulae for A-grade and higher were much more closely held. Not only would their current project benefit; with this information, they could produce their own Flame-conductive weapons. Excited, Hayato leafed through the remaining volumes.

“These are more about alloys … this last one is notes about the de-aging part of the curse. That’s what the bracelets are for; they’re supposed to temporarily return the Arcobaleno to their adult forms.”

“Matteo-sensei will like that.” Tsuna-sama examined the box of bracelets. “One for each Arcobaleno, an extra blue one – that must be for Mirch-san. But who is this black one for?”

“Ah.” Kawahira looked shifty. “I think I know. If the individual doesn’t show up when the pendants are removed, I can get it to them.”

*** 

Lambo stood in front of the workshop door, his arms proudly crossed in front of his chest. Today was a very important day. Why? Because Tsuna-sama and his Guardians were powering up the Big Machine. And he, Lucky Lambo, was standing watch while they did it! Kyoko and Hana and I-pin were keeping lookout, too, but he was right at the door. His job was so important that Reborn-sensei had let him carry real pellet guns. He had a mobile phone so he could call the cavalry – did Uncle Tsuyoshi count as cavalry if he didn’t have a horse? And he had on his horn hair clips so he could shoot Lightning at people. He was ready for anything!

Behind him, Lambo could hear Tsuna-nii giving instructions. “Ok, so, the order we add each Flame is important. First we have to activate the device and keep all the Flames moving. Matteo-sensei, you’re up.”

It had been a while since Lambo had tried to kill Reborn. He didn’t really want to anymore. Tsuna-nii’s family was much nicer than the Bovino, so Lambo didn’t care that he couldn’t go back. And that was before he found out that killing someone made them dead! He didn’t want Reborn to be dead. Reborn pretended to be mean, but he taught everyone lots of cool stuff, and Lambo had fun chasing him all over the place.

“Then we need Lightning to harden the machine against damage, and for a little electricity. Haru, your turn.”

Lambo liked Haru-nee. She looked after him when Tsuna-nii was busy, and she knew where to find the best grapes. Haru and her grandpapa were Lightnings, just like Lambo. That made them extra awesome!

“Next is Rain, to smooth out rough spots in the flow. Takeshi, go for it.”

Takeshi was scary sometimes. Why? Because he reminded Lambo of some of the Bovino hitmen, the ones who would do mean things like cut people up, and smile the whole time. Takeshi wasn’t mean at all, though; he knew all kinds of games to play with Lambo and I-pin. Lambo was sure that if Takeshi ever cut someone up, they would deserve it.

“Now we have Mist, to create the pattern for the other Flames to follow. Chrome, go ahead.”

Chrome lived with Haru, so Lambo saw her a lot, even if she didn’t talk much. Chrome used to be sad, so Lambo tried to cheer her up whenever he could. And it worked! She was hardly ever sad anymore.

There was a rustling in the bushes, and he perked up. Was there a deadly desperado lurking in the shadows? No, it was just a squirrel. Lambo brandished his guns at it; he couldn’t be too careful. Tsuna-nii was counting on him!

“The next two have to go in together: Cloud, to multiply whichever Flames are low, and Storm to consume those that are too high. Hibari-san, Hayato, your turn.”

Hibari was scary, too – he got upset a lot, and Lambo had trouble remembering all of his rules. He tried, though, because Hibari worked hard to keep Tsuna’s family safe and stop people from doing bad things. Stupid-dera yelled a lot, but he didn’t like people to get hurt. Maybe it was naughty of Lambo to tease him, but it was so much fun to get Hayato riled up!

“And finally, Sky to keep it all in harmony.”

Tsuna-nii was the best! Why? Because he hugged Lambo when he was upset, instead of telling him to _hold it in_. He let Lambo stay in his house and go to school with lots of other kids. Tsuna was there when Lambo needed help, and Lambo liked helping him too. Like he was now! He wanted to stay with Tsuna-nii for ever and ever.

“All right, it looks stable. Good work, everyone. Now we just leave it for a few weeks to propagate itself up to operating power.” The door behind him opened, and Tsuna-nii looked out. “Hey, Lambo-kun. Was there any trouble?”

“There was a suspicious squirrel, but it was no match for Lucky Lambo!”

Tsuna-nii giggled. “Good work.” He picked Lambo up and hugged him. And his Flames hugged him too; that was awesome! So Lambo hugged Tsuna back. Then he noticed that everyone was staring at him.

“You … harmonised,” said Hayato.

*** 

Tsuyoshi grins at the now-familiar sound of Tsuna-sama and his Guardians piling into the back room. “Okaeri,” he calls over his shoulder, and gets a chorus of “Tadaima” in return. It never ceases to amaze him that the Hidden Sky regards TakeSushi as home, just as much as his own house.

A few of the patrons in the front room look up curiously; it’s an open secret that their Sky spends time here, but none of them would intrude uninvited or risk breaking Omerta. It’s a sort of game by now, between those who know and won’t tell, and those who want to know and can’t ask. Tsuyoshi excuses himself and steps into the back room to take orders.

“Hello, Tsuyoshi,” Reborn greets him, eyes full of mischief. “We have a special occasion to celebrate.”

“Oh? Which occasion is that?”

Tsuna-sama holds up Lambo, who has been snuggling into his shoulder. “Lambo, here, has just become my seventh Element.”

Tsuyoshi blinks. He’s never heard of a Sky having more than six Guardians.

“It’s extremely rare,” Reborn says. “Trust Fluffy-Tsuna to do the impossible.”

“You’re the impossible one,” Tsuna-sama gripes. “Anyway, Tsuyoshi-san, could you get the diagram from the notice board? And a treat for the man of the hour? Lambo, what would you like?”

“Grapes!” is the inevitable reply.

“Ahaha, I’ll see what I can do.” Tsuyoshi returns to the front of the restaurant, and takes down the flower-shaped diagram that represents Tsuna-sama’s Guardians. It’s been complete for months now, so the customers have stopped paying attention to it. Now whispers spring up among them; Tsuyoshi ignores them and delivers it to his Sky. Then he washes his hands and returns to his workstation. Grapes, is it? He has grapes in stock, for fruit salad; he can work with that.

A few minutes later, Tsuyoshi carries a platter of his creations into the back room. In the meantime, Tsuna-sama has drawn a dot at the tip of the Lightning petal, and Lambo is carefully coloring it in green.

“Today’s special,” Tsuyoshi announces, “Is giant fish roe sushi.” Lambo’s eyes go huge when he sees that the ‘fish roe’ is actually peeled grapes.

“Awesome!”

“Thank you, Tsuyoshi-san,” says Tsuna-sama. His smile still hits Tsuyoshi right in the heart; it’s he who should be thankful to his Sky for sheltering him, his son, and all the Flames of Namimori. A few pieces of sushi are nothing compared to that. He bows, and takes the updated picture back out to the notice board. 

The addition, small as it is, is sure to send the rumors flying. The customers stare as he tacks the card up; one of them giggles. “Ushishishi, this Inten-sama is getting more and more interesting.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lambo had a messed-up childhood :(
> 
> Also, early-bird cameo!


	5. Chapter 5

Colonello hasn’t survived this long by being stupid, no matter what some of his fellow Arcobaleno might say. So when he gets a message from the Man in the Iron Hat, summoning them all to Namimori, Japan, he does his research first.

He already knows the place _exists_ ; it’s a refuge and neutral zone, much like Mafia Land. Supposedly, everyone there leads civilian lives – there’s a Yakuza group, but it’s little more than a gambling club. There are persistent rumors, though: any hitman who takes a contract in Namimori never comes back. Past that, he finds jack shit. It’s got to be a cover-up; he goes in ready for anything. Or so he thinks.

He steps off the train and gets smacked in the face by Sky Flames. Okay, lightly smacked, but still. It takes him a moment to figure out they’re coming from the ornamental maple tree in front of the station. What the hell?

It’s not just the one tree, either. Every few blocks there’s another one, all glowing with an incredibly pure Sky Flame. As far as he or anyone knows, there are five Skies in Japan and none of them are in this area. How is this town keeping a Sky hidden? And why?

He finds the address that Checkerface gave them, which turns out to be a sushi restaurant. There’s a stripe of orange tape over the door; no bet what that means. Inside, to his surprise, is a man he knows, though it’s been twenty years since they last met. “Yamamoto! I always wondered where you disappeared to, kora!”

“Colonello-san, it’s been a long time! Welcome to my restaurant.”

That just sounds weird, coming from a man who he’s seen behead three mooks with a single stroke. Colonello checks the place out. Stools at the counter, booths along the wall and tables in the middle. And a notice board, soaked in those same Sky Flames. There’s a letter pinned to it, in both Japanese and Italian, asking ‘everyone’ to treat the visiting Arcobaleno with courtesy. It’s signed, ‘Hidden Sky.’

“Hidden Sky? What’s the deal with that, kora?”

“Maa, no one gets told what the Hidden Sky is; they have to find out for themselves. Would you like anything to drink?”

Great, the Rain stonewall. Just with less swearing than Colonello’s version. “Sure, I’ll have some green tea. And some of those shrimp things, if you have them.”

“Of course! Coming right up.”

It makes sense that someone called ‘Hidden’ is secretive. But again, why bother in the first place? And how the hell do they know that the Arcobaleno are coming to town? “Say, Yamamoto, have you seen a man in a checkered mask hanging around?”

“Not at all.” The ex-hitman hands him a teacup. “I don’t know what brings you all to Namimori; Inten-sama asked me to act as a rendezvous point. Someone will be along to pick you up.”

Colonello watches Yamamoto’s hands flash across the chopping board. He clearly hasn’t lost any of his skill. “Am I the last one to arrive, kora?”

Yamamoto sets a plate of shrimp sushi in front of him. “We’re still waiting on Skull-san.” Typical of the lackey to be late.

Colonello is almost finished eating when the restaurant’s back door opens. “Tsuyoshi-san, I’m back. Hi, Colonello-san.”

“Gokudera, is that you, kora?” It is. Not that long ago, the brat was crawling through the mud at Colonello’s obstacle course; just looking at him, Colonello can tell he’s moved up in the world. He’s filled out and no longer looks like a half-starved mutt. He’s wearing new clothes and a Flame-focus ring on his finger. “What are you doing here, kora?”

“Right now, playing errand boy. You can finish eating, nothing’s going to start until everyone’s there.”

Taking jobs from Checkerface? Not smart. Colonello decides he might as well hear the rest straight from the horse’s ass. He stuffs the last piece of sushi in his mouth. Just then, there’s the roar of a motorcycle outside, and Colonello’s pacifier lights up. “Oi, lackey, in here! Yamamoto, how much?”

“Eight hundred yen, thanks.”

Colonello takes out his wallet and counts out change. “Lackey, Gokudera here was just about to take me to the meeting location.”

“Skull-san,” says Gokudera, “Would you rather ride with us, or follow on your bike?”

“The Great Skull-sama will roll on his own wheels!”

“Kid, did they let you behind the wheel of a limo, kora?”

“Um, not exactly. I’ll bring it around to the front.” He comes out with a bicycle, and Colonello nearly falls over laughing. Gokudera sneers at him and says, “Your conveyance, Signore,” in the snootiest tone he can manage.

“Whatever, kora.” He hops onto the rear rack, still snickering.

*** 

Skull parked his motorbike next to a row of bicycles in front of … nowhere, apparently. Some kind of overgrown courtyard in a ruin. Hardly a suitable venue for the Immortal Stuntman, but then he already knew that Checkerface was utterly lacking in star quality. This performance had better not take long; if there was one thing Skull hated, it was being part of the audience. Even if that meant his fellow arcobaleno, who each had at least a little star quality of their own.

They were all there, even Yuni, half asleep in the arms of her late mother’s Guardian Gamma. Even Lal, standing against a tree with her arms crossed, looking like she’d rather be anywhere else. That made two of them; Skull was going to need some major stunts to blow off steam after this. Like a 720 flip over a raging river gorge. And then a tunnel of flames; that sounded about right. He dismissed the presence of several teenagers among the group; they were clearly somebody’s roadies and thus beneath his notice.

He didn’t get much time to look over the venue. Moments after he and Colonello arrived, the air stilled, insects fell silent, and Checkerface stepped out of the trees. Showtime.

“Greetings, Arcobaleno.” Glares and mutters answered him. “I have called you here today because of this device.” A mist barrier dropped, revealing a sculpture of metal and glass. “Its purpose is to remove the Arcobaleno Curse from all of you.”

*** 

In the silence that followed, Verde observed several things. First, the mechanism was glowing with Flames of all seven types. It was plausible that the device would function as Checkerface claimed. Why? Because the circuits formed a self-sustaining loop, and the magnitude of the Flames within was sufficient to support the pacifiers. Verde hypothesized that Checkerface had not built the device himself; parts of the design resembled Talbot’s work. The rest was unfamiliar in style, and expressed an elegance that Checkerface seemed incapable of.

Second, Reborn, unlike the others, was not the least bit startled by the announcement. Even Fon, usually inscrutable, raised his eyebrows. Viper said flatly, “What’s the catch.” Lal gaped, and Colonello burst out, “What the hell? You better not tell me you’ve had this contraption lying around this whole time, kora!”

Checkerface did not refute the accusation, and silence stretched out again.

“No.” It was not Checkerface who spoke, but one of the teens who Verde had assumed were hirelings. He was dressed in a simple hoodie and jeans, which contrasted with the halo of Sky Flames which suddenly surrounded him. “Kawahira-san, this is not the time for your martyr complex. And Colonello, this machine didn’t exist three months ago. One of my Elements came up with it, and we brought the idea to him.”

Remarkable. Why? Because previously, Verde had not sensed a hint of Flame from the young man. And because he scolded Checkerface as though he was a subordinate.

“Who the hell are you, kora?” yelled Colonello, only for Reborn to pull a gun on him.

“You watch your mouth.”

“What? It’s not like he’s your – ” Colonello paused as his brain caught up with his mouth. “Oh good God, he _is_ your Sky, isn’t he.”

The young Sky nodded. “You can call me Tsuna. I’m kind of hosting this … event. And I promise you all, I wouldn’t have funded this project, or donated my Flames for it, if I wasn’t sure it would work.”

Yuni wiggled out of Gamma’s grip and approached him. “Mister Tsuna? Do you promise it’s OK?”

“I promise,” he told her, and held out his pinkie; they shook on it.

Meanwhile, Verde made a full circuit of the mechanism, this time paying close attention to its construction. The welded joints were solid; the components were not under undue strain. The Flame-conductive alloys were of the highest quality, which again implied Talbot’s involvement. There were minor inaccuracies, well within the acceptable range for a hand-built device. “I am willing to undertake the experiment,” he said.

With more grumbling, the other Arcobaleno agreed to the attempt.

“If you will each stand at your corresponding corner of the device,” Checkerface instructed, “And place the pendants in the matching sockets. Ms Mirch, make sure you are also touching the Rain pendant.” Reborn and Yuni did so at once, with Verde just a moment behind them. Fon followed, then Colonello and Lal – with Colonello, for once, not trying to flirt – then Skull, and finally Viper, still clearly suspicious of the whole scheme.

As soon as all seven pacifiers were in the circuit, Verde sensed a change. The swirling multi-Flame current of the machine arced through him, and a constriction that he was long since desensitized to, loosened. On the subjective level, it was exhilarating; he would have to survey the others, later, to see if they experienced the same. He could feel the pacifier pulling on his Flames as it separated, but the machine’s stored Flames back-filled his own and prevented damage. He could detect when the curse released him fully, even before Checkerface said, “It’s done. You can remove your hands now.”

They did, and the pacifiers remained behind. That was the conclusive proof that the Curse was gone; why? Because Verde, like all of them, had more than once tried to hurl his pacifier away, only for it to cling to him as if magnetised. Now, he was free of it.

Reborn jumped up and kissed his Sky on both cheeks, which Tsuna responded to with a splutter.

“Am I to presume,” said Fon, “That we will begin to age normally?”

Ah, yes, they were still in their infantile forms. “That’s what our data suggests,” said the teen Storm. (the Storm Guardian?) “In the meantime, Talbot sent these; they’ll allow you to take adult form for up to an hour a day.” He handed around bracelets, which the Arcobaleno accepted with wariness. Verde, for one, was not going to put on another Flame-conductive accessory without a thorough examination.

“I’ll take it, kora,” exclaimed Colonello, with a growing elation that matched Verde’s own. “The Curse is gone, and we’re all alive!”

Meanwhile, Checkerface had crumpled where he stood. His hat and mask had fallen off, revealing a surprisingly ordinary face. He was staring blankly at nothing. “Everyone lives,” he mumbled. “Just this once, everyone lives.” He started shaking, and the young Mist girl in Tsuna’s entourage hugged him around the shoulders. An intriguing interaction. Why? Because it suggested that Checkerface, too, had been negatively affected by the Curse. However, before Verde could analyse the thought further, a dark chill settled over the courtyard, and black Flames erupted from the ground.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Vindice cliffhanger! Why are they here? What do they want?
> 
> So in this fic's universe, Yuni is already the Sky Arcobaleno in the 'present'. This is totally on purpose and not because I got my timelines mixed up. *Whistles innocently*


	6. Chapter 6

Tsuna supposed it was too much to ask for the whole operation to go smoothly. The black Flames and the trio of Vindice that arrived with them were the biggest complication he could think of.

The descriptions didn’t do them justice. The bandages, the chains, the subtly twisted bodies. The dry, dusty scent that surrounded them, and that terrible, bone-numbing cold. It reminded Tsuna of the early days, when the seal cut him off from most of his Flames. As the Vindice looked around the courtyard, Tsuna ran through the Mafia laws that Reborn had drilled into him. He didn’t think they had broken any today, so what were the Vindice doing here?

His Elements and the Arcobaleno instinctively clustered around their respective Skies. Thank goodness Hibari wasn’t here; he was guarding Nana and Kyoko while they made dinner for everyone. On the other hand, Hana _was_ here; although she was still latent, she was determined to keep the girls – her territory – under her protection. Sure enough, Hana put herself between Chrome and the Vindice, which also put her between them and Kawahira.

The shorter Vindice – wait, the Arcobaleno-sized Vindice, Tsuna did not like where this was going – pointed at the ancient Mist. **“That man is one we have long sought. Stand aside, or be arrested with him.”**

_I knew it._ Neither girl moved; Chrome tightened her embrace, and Hana exclaimed, “Keep your zombie paws off Chrome!”

**“Ignorant girl. To defy the Vindice will lead to your death.”**

“Do I look like that’s going to stop me?” Since Hana was, in that moment, wreathed in violet Flames, the answer was clearly _no_. “Where do you get off arresting people, anyway? You’re not the police.”

**“We are the Vindice. We are those who enforce the Laws of the Mafia.”**

“And who put you in charge of that? Or are you just the biggest monkeys in the pack?”

Wonderful, Tsuna now had two Active Clouds to deal with; gods help him if Hana chose to harmonise. That is, if any of them lived that long. “Can we please discuss this like civilised people?” He unfurled his Flames across the courtyard, hoping that would incline them all to listen to each other. The mini-Vindice turned and stared (maybe; it was hard to tell with the bandages) at him. 

**“What. Is. That.”**

*** 

Reborn’s heart stopped as his fluffy Sky faced up to the Vindice. He was tempted to draw his gun on them but knew it would be futile. The Vindice chief, Bermuda himself, had come to arrest Checkerface. The Flames of Night could make hardened gangsters faint with terror, yet Tsuna seemed unfazed.

“Do you mean the seal?” he replied to Bermuda’s question.

**“The seal. Yes.”** Bermuda leaned in closer. **“This bears the Flame signature of Timoteo Vongola. To seal a Flame Active child – and to seal a Sky – is a violation of the Law.”**

Reborn’s stomach twisted. For Vongola Nono to get hauled away by the Vindice would be a scandal to rock the underworld; what was worse, Tsuna would inherit the Vongola immediately, long before he was ready. Tsuna was thinking along the same lines; alarm showed on his face, then was submerged in the calm of Hyper Dying Will mode. “I thought the Vindice didn’t get involved in internal matters?”

“Kid has balls, kora,” muttered Colonello. Reborn didn’t bother to protest his language this time.

**“You claim this is an internal matter?”** said Bermuda.

“Technically I’m Vongola too, so yeah,” Tsuna answered. “Plus, I’ve already got a plan to deal with it, so can I please have a chance to try it before you take action?”

**“And what consequences do you plan for the one who sealed you?”**

Tsuna scratched his neck. “How about stripping him of his title and confiscating all his assets?”

Put like that, it sounded ludicrous. No fifteen-year-old, Sky or not, had any chance of deposing the Vongola Don. Unless he had an inside edge, that is. Lal’s jaw dropped as she made the connection. “No way – that’s Iemitsu’s kid?”

Reborn just smirked. Fluffy-Tsuna looked and acted so genuinely soft that most Mafiosi would dismiss him without a second glance. And that would be their undoing, because _soft_ did not mean _weak_ , and Tsuna was fully aware of the power that he held. It gave Reborn a shiver of joy to see it. And Leon was recording the whole thing!

Bermuda looked skeptical. **“And how long will you take to accomplish this?”**

“Give me until my twenty-first birthday. That’s all I ask, Vindice-san.”

**“This I have to see. Very well, if you have not taken the Vongola by your twenty-first birthday, we will arrest Timoteo Vongola at that time.”** Bermuda turned back to Checkerface. **“Now that that’s settled …”**

*** 

Tsuna braced himself; this was going to be tricky. A part of him wanted to run into the trees and hide; the Vindice’s cold aura brought back memories from the time he’d been at his most useless. Still, he had survived that, and he was determined to get through this as well. “Could you tell me what the charges are?”

**“You would defend this person from the Vindice?”**

“Yes,” Tsuna said firmly. “He’s under my protection, after all.”

**“Explain.”**

“He’s a Flame Active citizen of Namimori and pays tribute to my organization; that makes him my responsibility.” What kind of Boss would he be if he let his people get arrested without a fight? Besides, what Kawahira had done wasn’t even that bad, compared to some of the stories Tsuna had heard. “Which laws has he broken? Or is this more of a personal grievance between you?” 

The Vindice twitched with surprise, so Tsuna knew that his intuition was, once again, correct. **“The Vindice have vowed to end the Arcobaleno Curse, which this man is responsible for.”**

They were a little late, then. “I don’t know if you noticed, but the Curse is ended. That’s what we were just doing.”

**“How can that be?”** The tallest Vindice approached the machine – and they really needed a name for it – and poked at one of the pendant sockets. The multi-Flame current arced through him, as it had the Arcobaleno, and left him looking less twisted.

**“Jaeger?”** called the shorter one.

**“I am … well, Boss.”**

*** 

Heart attack. Tsuna-sama was going to give Hayato a _heart attack._ He watched, awestruck, as his Sky stood up to the Vindice themselves without flinching. Their aura was horrifying, and the implication that they were connected to the Arcobaleno curse was unsettling. Yet Tsuna-sama spoke to them as if conducting an ordinary negotiation. “Are you convinced, Vindice-san?”

**“Your Famiglia built this device?”** asked Bermuda. 

“We did.” The ever-present hum of Harmony in his soul quickened to a roar. It was a rare privilege to see his Sky at his full power like this; the pure bright Flame that blanketed the courtyard, overshadowing even the Arcobaleno Sky. It made Hayato weak in the knees, but he struggled to steady himself. As much as he wanted to kiss his Sky’s hands – or shoes – that would not be useful to Tsuna-sama. Being in Hyper Dying Will mode for so long was sure to cause an overload, and he would need Hayato’s assistance once he released it.

**“And you object to the person known as Checkerface being punished for his actions?”**

Tsuna-sama shrugged. “What point would there be in it?” He waved at Kawahira, who was still frozen with shock in Chrome’s arms; he showed no sign of noticing the events going on around him. “It’s true that Kawahira-san’s actions harmed and angered many people. But it was a task he did not enjoy and did not ask for, and as soon as an alternative was presented, he supported it. What’s more, to the best of my knowledge, none of his actions were against the Mafia Laws. The only purpose of punishment now would be personal revenge, and really, would that be worthwhile?”

Hayato held his breath, hoping Tsuna-sama’s words would persuade them. The Vindice were reputed to be totally impartial; they weren’t supposed to _have_ personal grievances. They studied Kawahira for several long moments. Then they turned towards each other in silent communication, and finally faced Tsuna-sama again.

**“Your argument is convincing,”** said Bermuda. **“We will allow you to take responsibility for Checkerface as your subordinate, provided that the Vindice take custody of the pacifiers and their container.”**

“That sounds fair,” said Tsuna-sama. “Do you have a place to put it? If not, we have a nice abandoned salt mine picked out.”

**“It shall be placed in the deepest levels of Vindicare, where only the Vindice may pass.”**

“All right. Oh, and Talbot sent this for you, Vindice-san.” Tsuna-sama held out the black ninth bracelet, the one none of them had been able to figure out. Bermuda picked it up; Hayato grimaced at the thought of those cold fingers touching his Sky, but Tsuna-sama didn’t twitch. Bermuda turned the bracelet over in his hand, then pocketed it.

**“The Vindice owe you a debt, Sawada Tsunayoshi. We will be observing your career with great interest.”**

The Vindice spread out around the Machine, and then, with a swirl of black Flames, they and it were gone.

The chill lifted from the courtyard, and a moment later Tsuna-sama pulled his Flames in, leaving a lingering warmth behind. Of all the people there, only Hayato found the will to move; he approached his Sky’s side and offered his arm. His first and most basic duty; he knew Tsuna-sama would prefer it over any bow or salute. Tsuna-sama leaned on his arm and gave him a grateful smile. “We did it, Hayato.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "So, Hana, how did you go Flame Active?" "Well, it was when I was yelling at the Vindice ..."
> 
> If I knew how, I would put the Vindice's lines in small caps, like Discworld!Death. EDIT: And now I do. Thanks, HinekoAkahi!


	7. Chapter 7

If Lal hadn’t heard his name herself, there is no way she would believe that this Sky kid is Iemitsu’s son. The kid has just negotiated with the _Vindice_. He can achieve Hyper Dying Will mode without help. And he somehow orchestrated the removal of the Arcobaleno Curse. To hear Iemitsu talk, his son can’t tie his own shoes.

While Lal is having her paradigms shifted without a clutch, Reborn hops onto Tsuna’s shoulder and swats him on the head. “Did you just blackmail the Vindice?”

“I did not! … Did I?”

“You implied you would ruin their reputation if they acted out of revenge. I’m so proud.” Oh, God, he’s going to be insufferable. Tsuna rolls his eyes and pulls a crumpled list out of his pocket.

“Ok, Takeshi and Chrome, can you take Kawahira-san home, please? Everyone else, there’s dinner at my house if you’re interested.”

Hell, yes. Even though she’s only been in this ruin for – she checks her watch – two hours, Lal is starving. She’s certainly more interested in food than what becomes of Checkerface; he looks like a broken man, and she doesn’t _think_ it’s an act. With Mists it’s hard to tell.

The Lightning girl picks up his signature headgear. “Kawahira-san, your hat!”

“I don’t want it. Get rid of it.”

The girl raps her knuckles on the iron hat thoughtfully. “Hey Hayato, what’s a good way to blow up a hat?”

“I’m thinking, thermite,” says the Storm kid, without taking his eyes off Tsuna. Their teamwork is that tight after, what, a year at most? Some of it has to be Reborn’s training, but, damn.

“Let me make sure I’ve got this straight,” Lal says. “Tsuna, you’re the one responsible for getting rid of the curse?”

“Well, it was kind of a group effort.”

Reborn swats him again. “Don’t be so modest, Fluffy-Tsuna. Your fund paid for the materials, and your Flames are running the Machine. And you started the whole thing when you _invited Checkerface to tea!_ ”

“I didn’t know it was him at the time!”

Meanwhile, Skull is staring down the Cloud girl. “Just because you’ve got Cloud Flames,” he says, “doesn’t mean you have star quality.”

“And just because you’re the Immortal whatever, doesn’t make you less of a monkey,” she retorts.

“Good, we understand each other.”

Is that what just happened? Still, Lal could swear that Tsuna’s Cloud Guardian is male. Either her information is wrong, or Tsuna has _two Clouds_ following him. “Why can’t your father be more like you?” she exclaims.

Tsuna blinks. “I don’t usually hear it that way around. You work with my father, right, Mirch-san?”

Polite and prepared; all he’s missing is the suit. “That’s correct. And for God’s sake call me Lal; you’ve earned it.”

“When am I going to earn it, kora?” yells Colonello; Lal makes a rude gesture at him. The kids snicker.

“In that case, Lal-san, can you do me a couple of favors?”

After what he’s pulled off, he can have as many favors as he likes. “Shoot.”

“Can you keep what you’ve seen here quiet from my father? I’d like to tell him myself.”

“Deal. And I want to be there to see his face when you do.”

“Okay. And can you remind him to contact me? I still haven’t heard from him.”

“Still? That idiot!” Can’t Iemitsu at least follow Nono’s instructions? “I will gladly put a boot up his ass on your behalf.” And then, because she’s morbidly curious, “When was the last time you heard from him?”

“Three years ago he sent a postcard claiming that he was a construction worker in Antarctica.”

Lal just facepalms. If, say, Viper sent a message like that, she would suspect them of using a transparent cover story on purpose. Iemitsu isn’t that subtle; he expects his wife and son to buy that.

Tsuna says, “What’s my father like in person?”

He doesn’t shy away from the hard questions, does he?” “Eh, he’s good in a fight and he’s fun at parties. His people skills are just … superficial.”

“I was afraid of that.” Tsuna shrugs and changes the subject. “Is everyone coming to dinner, then? Gamma and Yuni have a car, and Skull has his motorcycle. Hayato, I don’t think I can balance on a bike, so can I ride with you?”

“Of course, Decimo.”

“So that leaves – ”

“Fluffy-Tsuna. If you think I’m riding anywhere but with you, think again.”

“Ok,ok! That leaves five Arcobaleno between Hana, Haru and Shoichi.”

“I shall go with Shoichi,” Verde announces. “I wish to discuss future projects with him.”

Shoichi boggles. “Dude, we just built a machine to save the world. What do you expect us to do for an encore?”

Verde gives him a grin full of Science! “Have you ever heard of Lorenzini’s Box Animals?”

*** 

Fon struggled to maintain his serence façade. The Arcobaleno curse, which had defined his existence for thirty years, was _gone._ Much as he hated his infant form, he was used to it; now he would start growing again. And perhaps not merely in body. Like all his comrades, Fon had believed his time was short, and thus he had let his skills stagnate. Yet the Arcobaleno had received a unique second chance – a second lifetime to live, and Fon was resolved to do better in this one than the first.

Curious, that this had all taken place in Namimori. He had helped his sister’s family settle here; the neutral zone kept them safe, and ensured that his nephew would survive to adulthood. However, his apprentice had also been sent to Namimori, and she had never returned. The heads of her Triad must have known it would happen; assassins had been disappearing in this town long before their young Sky was born.

The Hidden Sky, Yin Tian. His existence was a mere _whisper_ of rumor. None would guess that this was him: a short, fluffy teenager in hoodie and jeans, leaning against his storm Guardian’s back while he rode on the back of a bicycle. There was no trace now of his vast, bright, pure Flame; he held it hidden within him. Sawada Tsunayoshi, the Vindice called him; Fon knew that surname. It seemed the Vongola had their own use for the Namimori refuge. As did the Arcobaleno Administrator.

Fon had no further desire for revenge on Checkerface, after seeing him without his mask. The cruellest torture to inflict on a prisoner was to force them to torture others; that was what Fon saw in Kawahira’s eyes after the hat came off. Fon didn’t know the whole story, but Tsunayoshi _did_ , and he had argued for mercy before the Vindice; his Mist Guardian had taken Kawahira into her care. He and the Arcobaleno all owed the young Sky a great debt. Fon contemplated which pledge he would offer in repayment.

One among them had already made his choice; the change in Reborn was, to one who knew him, astonishing. In their world it was easy to find reasons to kill. But Reborn had found something – someone – worth dying for, and he was all the more dangerous for it. He perched in the front basket of the bicycle, sharp eyes scanning for anything that might dare to threaten his Sky.

Fon, meanwhile, was riding with Colonello and the Cloud, Hana. “So, are you the kid’s Cloud Guardian, kora?”

“Nah; he’s not bad for a monkey, but I’m just here to look after my girls,” said Hana. “Besides, Tsuna already has a Cloud, it would be awkward.” Could it be? The Flame type was rare enough that it was unlikely there were more than two Clouds in Namimori. Fon’s nephew was so anti-social it was hard to imagine him harmonising with anybody … yet he would have said the same about Reborn.

The group of assorted vehicles turned a corner and Fon spotted a familiar figure lounging on the roof of a house; the house that turned out to be their destination. As soon as Tsunayoshi climbed off his Storm’s bicycle, Kyoya jumped off the roof to examine him. “Small omnivore. You are unwell.”

“Just Flame overload, Hibari-san. I’ll be fine.” Kyoya spun Tsunayoshi around to see for himself that he wasn’t wounded. He grunted, and looked around at the group. “Annoying carnivore,” he greeted Fon. Then his gaze caught Hana’s and they started a staring contest.

Before this could escalate, Tsunayoshi waved a hand between them. “Hey. Would you two please leave it till after dinner? Hibari-san, are you eating with us or do you want a bento?”

“Bento,” said Kyoya, and climbed back onto the roof. Fon had never seen his nephew so accommodating. And he had obeyed Tsunayoshi without argument, a sure sign of a harmonised Cloud. A Guardian in the family; for that blessing alone, their clan owed Tsunayoshi loyalty.

Tsunayoshi said to Skull, “The same option is open to you, if you’d rather not be crowded in with the rest of us.”

Skull tilted his helmeted head. “The Great Skull-sama will accept a bento,” he decided.

“Hana?”

“Tempting, but I’ll stick with my girls,” she said.

Gamma coughed into his hand. “As Yuni-sama has fallen asleep, I believe we will return to our hotel.” He would be wary of bringing her into another Sky’s house, leaving aside the issue of a newly Active Cloud in a crowded room. Tsunayoshi smiled at him.

“I understand, Gamma-san. Thank you for coming.” As Gamma drove away, Tsunayoshi waved the rest of them into the entry. “Welcome to my home, everyone.”

Within, the house was … ordinary. It was much like any other civilian house in Japan; the only notable feature were the pieces of calligraphy – student projects, by the look of them – that hung on the walls. Two other exits, counting the picture window, and a staircase leading to the upper floor. Several low tables were pushed together to accommodate their group; sounds and scents of cooking came from the kitchen. Occupants: a middle-aged woman (Tsunayoshi’s mother), a latent Sun girl, a little Lightning boy, and …

“ _Shifu!_ ” A red-and-black blur rocketed into him, almost knocking him over. It couldn’t be. 

“I-pin?” He had mourned her for _lost_. Yet here she was, whole and healthy; taller than him now at six years old, and chattering a mile a minute in Mandarin. Fon barely fit a word in edgewise as I-pin told him about ‘Big Brother Tsuna’, going to school, her new glasses, and half a dozen other things from a _normal_ childhood. Finally Fon asked, “You are happy here?”

“Yes, Shifu! Oh, I need to help set the table. Broccoli-head, come and carry the place mats!” She scampered off as quickly as she had arrived. Fon stared after her; he let his thoughts settle into place. He knew now that he owed more than he could ever repay; there was only one vow that honor required of him. The others had paused to watch I-pin’s greeting; they were watching him now. He faced their host.

“Sawada Tsunayoshi-sama.” He lowered himself into a full kowtow. “My life, my death, everything I have is yours.”

Above him, there was a soft, “Hieee?” and then Tsunayoshi scooped him up bodily and held him against his shoulder. Although Fon’s heart raced at the vulnerable position, he lay still, surrendered to his now Master. A hand stroked his back. Sky Flames enveloped him and he offered his own Flames for them to taste; they clung, they bound, and pulled him in. He stifled a gasp. He had been prepared to become the lowest of servants; he was not expecting _this_. Warmth that seeped into the cracks of his soul and soothed them, vast resolve that cradled his Storm without fear or doubt. Bright Flame pierced him to the core, and it was _glorious_. “Shhh,” whispered his Master, his Sky. “I’ve got you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tsuna is an expert Cloud wrangler by now.
> 
> Fon has more in common with Hayato than appearances would suggest.
> 
> Time for a kanji explainer! Tsuna's title is, 隱天, which is read _Inten_ in Japanese and _Yin Tian_ in chinese. In canon, the Sky flame is called 空 _sora_ but when that's used in compounds, it has connotations of emptiness or vacancy - not exactly auspcious. And in the next chapter, the name Hibari 雲雀 is pronounce Yunque in Chinese. Thank you Google Translate!


	8. Chapter 8

The following day dawned cold and clear. Hayato awoke suddenly, surprised that he had slept at _all_ ; his Sky lay, still sleeping, in his arms. After having so many strangers in his house – and there was _still_ a stranger in the house, albeit a newly harmonised one –Tsuna-sama had sought refuge here. With Hayato.

He wasn’t jealous of Fon; how could he be? Fon had decades of experience and the power and reputation of an Arcobaleno, but Hayato had _this._ His Sky, helpless, trusting him with his life. He gulped, and clung tighter.

Tsuna-sama stirred and opened his eyes; his face lit up with a smile. “Good morning, Hayato.”

“Decimo.” Hayato nuzzled his head into Tusna-sama’s shoulder. “Did you sleep well?”

“I always do when I’m with you.” Tsuna-sama scratched him behind the ears, then stretched and sat up. “Another busy day today.”

Hayato nodded; a job wasn’t over until the follow-up was done. He counted on his fingers. “Kawahira, Fon, the other Arcobaleno … Decimo, have you decided what you’ll do with Fon?”

“I want to talk to him first, and if it’s anything like when Reborn harmonised, he’ll sleep until noon. Short term though, I want to put you in charge of him. You are his sempai, after all.”

Tsuna-sama wanted _him_ to – ? He would be responsible for – ? “Sempai? Me?”

“Yeah. His reputation is as an enforcer; he won’t know what it’s like to be an Element, and he doesn’t know me.” Tsuna-sama laid his hands on Hayato’s neck and looked him in the eye. “You get to show him the ropes, and you get to decide what to tell him about me. He’ll be in good hands with you.”

That sounded like an order, and Hayato took it as one. “I won’t let you down, Decimo.”

***

Even without opening the door to his room, Tsuna could sense that Reborn was already up, but Fon was still fast asleep. Though the Arcobaleno had hotels booked, Tsuna had wanted to keep his newest Element close, even if he wasn’t ready to sleep in the same room as him. He looked inside; the Eye of the Storm was nestled into an improvised bed made from a basket. Sometime during the night, a tiny white-furred monkey had snuck in and was curled up beside Fon’s elbow. Tsuna tucked the blanket in closer around him before going back out into the hall.

The smell of coffee wafted up the stairs; Reborn had to be in a good mood if he was brewing his own. As Tsuna and Hayato came down the stairs, there was a knock on the door, and Tsuna knew that it was Haru and Chrome. He opened the door with a smile. “Good morning! You’re just in time for tea and coffee.”

“We wouldn’t miss it, Boss!”

“Thank you for having us, Boss.” Unlike Tsuna, who was still in his pyjamas, both girls were dressed to the nines – Haru in a chartreuse pantsuit, and Chrome in an indigo dress with shell buttons that shimmered like stars. Why were there so many fashionable people in his Family? Tsuna led them into the kitchen, and stopped short.

Reborn, in adult form, was leaning against the counter; his tall, lean frame was dressed in black suit and tie over a Sun-yellow shirt. He was, objectively speaking, smoking hot. Hayato made a choked noise; Chrome blushed, and Haru was openly ogling. Even Hibari, who had leaned in the window to grab a cup of tea, stopped to stare. “Wao.”

Reborn just smirked and sipped his coffee.

*** 

After breakfast, Tsuna went with the two girls to the secret base to retrieve his bike. They took a quick look around to make sure that the place was tidy after the previous day, and then rode to TakeSushi.

“Ahaha, good morning,” Takeshi greeted them. “Kawahira-san is still asleep; we were waiting for you before we let him wake up.”

“He didn’t try anything foolish last night, did he?” That was half the reason Tsuna had asked the Yamamotos to watch him overnight; the two Rains between them could keep Kawahira sedated if necessary.

“No, we stuffed him with ramen and he stared at the wall for a while. Then Dad said we should make sure he got some rest.”

“A smart man, your father.”

“I’m honoured that you think so, Tsuna-sama,” said Tsuyoshi, bowing low. He wasn’t usually that formal.

“Takeshi, have you been telling tall tales about me?”

“Maa, with you I never need to exaggerate, Tsuna.”

Oh, _really._ “Anyway, thanks for looking after Kawahira-san, and could you wake him up now?”

When he came downstairs, Kawahira looked better, or at least more collected. He seated himself with precise etiquette, and sipped the tea that Tsuna gave him. “Tsuna-sama, allow me to express my gratitude for your actions on my behalf.”

Tsuna smiled. “You’re one of my people, of course I would protect you.”

“Even so, there are few who would stand in the way of the Vindice. I am in your debt.”

Tsuna was never going to live that down, was he? “There’s no rush, Kawahira-san. And you’re already doing a service for the community. Unless that’s someone else’s Mist barrier around Namimori.”

“Ah, you can sense that? Your senses are keen indeed.”

“I ran across it while I was setting up my decoys.” Tsuna wasn’t sure what the barrier did, exactly, apart from deflecting outside attention away from the town. “I’m sure many people in Namimori have benefited from it.”

“I made it for selfish reasons.” Kawahira’s fingers clenched around his teacup; Tsuna reached out and laid his hands over Kawahira’s.

“You could have put the barrier around just your house, but you didn’t. You’re a better person than you think you are, Kawahira-san.”

The Mist just blinked at him, but Tsuna felt his Flames roil. And then, _connect._ He felt great age and experience, along with deep loneliness and weariness. For all he claimed not to be human, his emotions were all too familiar.

Kawahira’s composure crumbled. “But – you don’t – I’m not – ”

“Shh, it’s all right,” Tsuna rubbed Kawahira’s hands soothingly.

“You don’t understand! _You would have been next!”_

Ok, wow. Good thing Reborn wasn’t around to hear _that._ As it was, both Yamamotos shifted menacingly, and Haru growled. Chrome took one of Kawahira’s hands and squeezed it. And while Tsuna wasn’t happy to learn it, he was a little impressed that Kawahira was willing to throw his own Sky under the bus for the sake of saving the world. Maybe they would even have harmonised sooner if that obligation hadn’t stood between them. Besides, “That’s not going to happen now. It’s over.”

Kawahira swallowed hard and slumped in his seat. “I understand. Boss.” Chrome leaned against his shoulder, and he tentatively put his arm around her.

“Take some time to settle in,” said Tsuna. ‘Think about what you want to do with your life; I won’t make you stay involved with the Mafia if you don’t want to. And welcome to the family.”

*** 

Hayato almost jumped out of his skin when he felt his Sky harmonise with _yet another_ Element. It felt like a Mist, and knowing Tsuna-sama’s schedule for the day, there was only one person it was likely to be. A real live UMA in their family! Best Sky ever!

It sounded like the harmonisation feedback had woken Fon, and a few minutes later he wandered down the stairs, clutching a note from Tsuna-sama like it was a precious treasure. He spotted Hayato and bowed. “Gokudera-sempai. One understands that one is to be at your disposal today.”

“Yeah, we’re supposed to get to know each other. And call me Hayato, we’re family now.” He never got tired of being able to say that. He had set aside a plate of breakfast; a quick bit of research and he’d also put together a bowl for Fon’s marmoset, with fruit, seeds and some mealworms from Leon’s supply. He pushed his books aside and set both on the table. “Tea?”

“If you would be so kind.” 

Hayato put the kettle on. He watched as Fon started to eat; the martial artist had a _hell_ of a poker face, but Hayato had been a street kid. He knew to watch for nuances of posture and timing, tells so faint that reading them was more gut feeling than conscious skill. “You’re surprised,” he guessed.

“One had expected more animosity,” Fon admitted. “Last night, you were quite intent on one’s actions.”

It figured that he’d noticed that; Hayato blushed slightly. “It turns out I … like to watch.” Seeing someone _else_ bow at his Sky’s feet was satisfying in a way that he hadn’t expected. “And anyway, Decimo is trusting me to treat you right.” Now Fon was giving him a searching look. “What?”

“Your pardon,” said Fon. “One’s first impression was that the Master was lenient in discipline with you.”

It _would_ look like that from the outside. Hayato snorted. “Are you shitting me? Decimo is a hardass. _You’re_ the one he’s been slack on.”

“How so?” a hint of curiosity showed through.

“If it was up to me, I’d be right down on the floor beside you. But it’s _not_ up to me.” How was Hayato supposed to explain it? Tsuna-sama was on an entirely different level than other Bosses he’d seen, with famiglias rife with infighting and competition for rank. “I’m guessing you haven’t spent much time around a Sky’s household?”

“Hardly any,” replied Fon. “The Triads have no Skies at present. One has much to learn from you.”

“From me?” The kettle whistled, and Hayato prepared the tea in the precise way he’d learned to keep Hibari from throwing the teacup at him. If anything, Hayato should be learning from Fon, about Storm Flames, and martial arts, and all sorts of tthings. “It’s not like I’m anywhere close to Decimo’s league, or even yours.” When in doubt, start from the beginning. “You think you got the wrong impression about him? Let me tell you about when I first came here …”

*** 

The rest of the Arcobaleno had reconvened at Yuni’s hotel. Reborn was dressed as a leprechaun for the occasion, and handed around boxes of Pot-o-Gold chocolates. He chose not to mention Tsuna’s most recent harmonisation or the ache between his eyebrows it caused. He had underestimated his fluffy student; he’d expected Tsuna to crush Kawahira with sympathy, not harmonise with him. How was Reborn supposed to get his payback now?

“So, all the kid wants from us is to keep his secrets?” said Lal.

“Until he decides to release them,” Reborn clarified. The others nodded.

“This information will not be for sale,” said Viper. “Though if you have any clean images of the Vindice, I know a buyer who would be very interested.”

“Oh? Cut me in for fifty percent and I’ll send you some clips.”

“Mu, don’t be absurd. Ten percent,” said Viper. Reborn grinned.

“Forty-five.”

“Twelve.”

“Forty.”

“Fifteen.”

“Fifty.”

“Mu, nice try. Twenty.”

“Deal.”

“Are you two done?” asked Lal, and clapped her hands for attention. “Sure, we’ll hold the kid’s blackmail for him. But I think we can do better than that.” Reborn’s chest warmed with satisfaction; all of them understood what they owed fluffy-Tsuna, and he hadn’t even had to threaten them.

“The Giglio Nero will ally with the Hidden Sky,” said Yuni as firmly as an eight-year-old could. 

“Understood, Donna,” said Gamma.

Colonello commented, “Reborn was already here, and Fon has gone full minion. So what about the rest of us, kora?”

Verde typed something on his laptop. “I suggest that we set up a monthly rotation, with a commitment to be in Namimori for at least one week out of the month.”

Reborn ran the numbers in his head. That would make a third Arcobaleno available to Tsuna at least a quarter of the time, and a week’s absence every five months would raise few eyebrows. “That sounds feasible. Lackey, are you in?”

Tease him as they might, the Arcobaleno knew better than to tell the Cloud what to do. Some believed that Skull was Inverted, simply because he chose to contend against the implacable laws of physics rather than mere mortal opponents, or because he used fame to distance himself from the masses. They would be wrong.

“As long as I get first pick,” said Skull. “The Great Skull-sama has a tour schedule to consider.”

*** 

“You had to harmonise with Checkerface, Fluffy-Tsuna,” Reborn groused.

“You don’t have to like him. You don’t have to pretend to like him.” Tsuna was updating his Element card; the diagram now looked nicely symmetrical with three dots surrounding it, red, green, and indigo. “All I ask is, no permanent harm. And I’ve told him to give as good as he gets.”

Reborn tilted his hat down and smirked. But of course; it wouldn’t be any fun otherwise.

*** 

Fon closed his eyes and focused on keeping his breathing steady, his hand pressed to the notebook’s cover. He hadn’t gotten further than the first entry; it was written in large, childish characters: _“It’s going to take a long time but I have to try. I have to write everything down so I won’t forget. I want to be warm again.”_

“He was five years old,” he said.

“Yeah.” Hayato’s voice was rough with emotion.

“He was alone.”

“Not anymore.”

“Never again,” Fon agreed. He had started the morning sitting across from Hayato; hours later they were curled up side by side in his room, bracing each other against the reality of what their Sky had endured. Without guidance, without aid – somehow, Tsunayoshi had emerged with his soul undimmed, still able to smile and still able to trust. Fon had seen many grown men lose both to lesser trials. “How do you bear to raise your head in his presence?”

“It takes everything I’ve got, some days. Like I said before, it’s not up to me. I swore I’d do anything for him; he wanted a friend.” Fon wondered if Hayato knew how remarkable he, also, was; a jewel of a Right Hand, half carved from the rough. Fon might be a powerful enforcer, but in this new role he would have to shed decades of unsuitable habits.

The front door opened, and their Master’s voice called, “I’m home!”

“Welcome back,” called his mother from the kitchen, and then his footsteps rang on the stairs. He appeared in the doorway.

“Hayato, Fon.” To see him _smile_ like that, knowing what he had survived – Fon bent his head to the floor at Tsunayoshi’s feet. Once again he was scooped into his Sky’s embrace; Tsunayoshi wrapped his free arm around Hayato and nuzzled his hair. How was it that he, who had suffered, was comforting them, who had only heard about it? Was the difference in their strengths truly so great? 

“I see that you’ve heard the whole story,” said Reborn, from somewhere behind their Sky. “Fluffy-Tsuna, I take it you’re going to interrogate him now?”

“Don’t say it like that, Matteo-sensei.” He carried Fon to his own room, picking up his journal on the way, and set him down on a cushion. Fon sat straight and proper, his gaze lowered, and waited for his Master’s direction. “I do have a few things I want to ask about,” said Tsunayoshi. “To start with, what to you know about the people who sent I-pin to Namimori?”

“They are no longer with us, Master.” Their ashes scattered on the wind, their properties razed and their wealth looted.

“Good.” Tsunayoshi’s eyes gleamed orange for a moment. He opened his journal to the back, where there was a short list, and crossed out one of the entries. “You’re allowed to use my name, you know. Though Hayato still has trouble with that, so don’t worry if you can’t manage it.”

It turned out that what his Sky wanted to know wasn’t Fon’s skills, but his existing attachments. They spoke further about his apprentice; Fon had tried to adopt her outright, but the Triad who had found her wanted to keep her explosive power for themselves. He had been planning a new attempt when the issue became moot.

As harsh as the Triads could be, they were Fon’s people; like any underworld group, they were those who, by choice or necessity, lived outside the law. Most had some measure of honor, and as for the rest … Fon, as neutral enforcer, was their de facto highest court and arbitrator. What would become of the Triads’ fragile stability now that he was unavailable?

“You don’t have to stop,” said Tsunayoshi. “If your work with the Triads is important to you, I won’t take it away from you. And if that makes me look like a soft touch,” he shot a sideways look at Reborn, “We’ll say it’s good for business to keep order in the Triads. And in between, you’ll come back here.” That made it an order, one that Fon would obey with joy. “Hibari-san told me you’re his uncle,” Tsunayoshi continued. “Are there more of your family around?”

“The Yunque, called Hibari in Japan, have branches all over the world,” Fon replied. “Through Kyoya and oneself, you receive the allegiance of the entire Clan.” 

“Hieee? All of them?

Fon cringed inwardly; he had no intention to cause his Sky distress. “One does not know why Kyoya has not spoken of the Clan to you. Or of you to them.”

“It must be too herbivorous for him to bother with.” Tsunayoshi shrugged. “Ah, speaking of Hibari-san – ”

The Cloud came in through the window and picked Fon up. “Fight me, Annoying Carnivore.”

There was no reasoning with Kyoya in his current mood, and their Sky knew it too. “We’ll continue this later.” Kyoya tucked Fon under his arm and dashed off; Tsunayoshi called after them, “Have fun!”

His nephew had acquired some notion of manners; rather than battle Fon in the middle of town, he took him to the ruin from yesterday, and past it to a gravel pit. He tossed Fon high into the air while he drew his tonfas. In midair, Fon controlled his tumble and then pressed the bracelet that was on his wrist. When he landed, he was in his adult form.

Kyoya bared his teeth eagerly. Fon’s serene smile showed a bit more edge than usual. His Master had given him an order, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... And there were no survivors. ^^
> 
> A big thank you to all of my readers and commenters; you're keeping my motivation up! And good news: Part 4 of Hidden Sky is _complete_ in first draft; I'm taking a few weeks break to do holiday things and decompress before starting on typing/editing, so you can expect to see it in the new year. In the meantime, I'll be reposting some old crackfic for your entertainment.


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